


Strange Bedfellows

by SyraNyx



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Demons, F/F, Magic, Mutual Pining, Mystery, POV Alternating, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-09-15 22:47:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16942158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SyraNyx/pseuds/SyraNyx
Summary: 3 years ago Brigitte needed a roommate to get her out of Papa's house so she could try going to college without being harassed by her family all the time. Whether you blamed her friends or sheer dumb luck she ended up with the greatest roommate ever in Fareeha Amari and now they were leasing their own apartment! Work and friends keep them busy but she's pretty happy with this relationship despite the slight age gap and their differing interests.It's hard not to wonder sometimes though... Who else does Fareeha like to hang out with outside of their personal circle? And why doesn't she ever introduce them? They're closer than that... right?





	1. Sunday Funday!

“No, No, Olivia.. You forgot the-”

 

“I  _ know _ , Hana! I’m getting there!”

 

“No, but- You have to-”

 

“I  _ KNOW. _ ”

 

“Careful! You’re gonna-”

 

“AHH!  _ CHINGADA MADRE _ !”

 

“I told you…”

 

“Shut up and help me clean my shirt before it  _ stains _ ! And you two!  _ Callate! _ ”

 

Brigitte and Fareeha had been trying their hardest not to snicker from their place on the loveseat in their apartment living room. The spectacle in the tiny kitchenette had been growing funnier by the minute as their two friends fussed with the fancy coffee makers they had for making lattes and frappuccinos. Hana knew how to use the extravagant housewarming gifts already and had been trying to show her girlfriend Olivia the tricks of the trade. But it wasn’t going well…

 

“ _ CALLATE!! _ ”

 

“Let them laugh,  _ jagiya.  _ Hold still already and let me clean you up.”

 

The pair on the couch couldn’t help but lose their composure once Olivia somehow managed to spray foam and coffee all over her neon purple blouse, its custom-printed techno-skull logo quickly succumbing to the brown liquid. Hana herself actually seemed to be struggling with keeping in some giggles as well while she gently dabbed at her girlfriend’s front with a hand-towel but refrained with tight lips and red cheeks. 

 

“I don’t- Why do machines hate you so much, Olivia? You work with computers!” Brigitte exclaimed once she’d calmed her hysterics, though she nearly started again when the programming major fixed her with a withering stare. 

 

“How should I know?” Olivia whined, desperately dabbing at her top with paper towels. It really was quite impressive in a way to see ‘Sombra’, freelance computer repair technician and aspiring entrepreneur, consistently have as much trouble as she did with any and all kitchen appliances. She seemed to be quite cursed in culinary matters. “They just do!”

 

“I guess that means you two are destined to live on chips and energy drinks forever then,” Fareeha quipped from the other end of the couch, her arms full of a fluffy white cat that had only just returned after Brigitte’s initial boisterous outburst and looked quite offended when another fit of giggles overtook her and shook the couch the two roommates were lounging on. 

 

“ _ Ip dakchyeo!  _ I  _ can  _ cook I’ll have you know!” Hana retorted, sticking her tongue out at Fareeha and returning to the coffee pot to wipe it down while Olivia finished cleaning her shirt. 

 

Brigitte had actually been quite pleasantly surprised when Hana had cooked for their little group for the first time a few months ago. The internet-famous “D.va”, pro gamer and streamer, could whip up just about anything in a skillet and make it absolutely delicious. Quite the surprising skill for someone that played video games for a living. 

 

“Have you ever thought about cooking for.your fans, Hana? I saw someone doing that on my way to watch your stream the other day,” Brigitte asked, changing the subject to give the harassed Olivia a break. She reached out to snag her cat from the floor as she asked, hugging the fluffy white ball to her chest and ignoring her indignant meow. Mitzi loved the attention, whether she admitted it or not. 

 

“Ooh. That’s not a bad idea…”

 

Hana’s intrigued expression brought up a new discussion for the 4 friends to engage for a time, their voices clamoring over one another’s and bringing Olivia’s mood up once again as she laughed at the thought of Hana trying to stream herself making a cake in a poofy chef’s hat for her fans. 

 

This was their ritual after all. Every Sunday morning, as religiously as some went to church, they would congregate in someone’s apartment and hang out. They traded stories of their week’s exploits, shared juicy gossip about their other friends, complained about their workplaces and, of course, unleashed a never-ending stream of playful teasing on each other. It all worked out quite well since Sunday was the only consistent day free of work or other obligations they all shared in common. 

 

Brigitte worked long hours in her Papa’s garage through the work week, coming home at night stained in oil and grease. Unlike Olivia, machines spoke to the muscled Swedish girl with the crystal clear instructions. When confronted with a vehicle angrily spitting abuse in the form of grinding metal and hot fluids she could coax a gentle purr from them as easily as if they were another of her cats. Mitzi, Maja, and Luna loved their human mother and perpetually sat just outside of arm’s reach during their naps, ever ready to chirp and seek affection from warm, loving hands. 

 

Hana, or “D.va” as she was known online, was quite versed in mechanical endeavors as well, though she engaged with them as an occasional hobby rather than using her skills to earn a living wage. Her true passion was in the spectacle of video games. With a camera capturing her expressions and voice and her computer screen displaying her digital exploits to the world wide web, D.va entertained tens of thousands of people 4 days a week by showing them her prowess in games of skill and strategy. There were only a select few people in the world that could best her keen mind in her chosen field. Immense popularity and widespread viewership had even led her to starting her own line of apparel and energy drinks, bearing her face and bunny logo on them. 

 

Olivia meanwhile was learning to run her own business while her girlfriend entertained the masses, fixing the computers that Hana’s fans used to view the streams and upgrading them on request and by fee. Her keen eyes knew every in and out of a circuit board and her precise fingers could hunt down any wayward glitch in a system with a few keystrokes, as if by magic. Fielding phone calls and seeking out able-bodied technicians that could keep up with her skills wasn’t nearly as much her forte but a quick wit and her linguistic abilities in English, Spanish, and now a smattering of Korean helped her burn through any conversation in a matter of minutes. 

 

“Oh. One minute. I’ll be right back.”

 

Fareeha, the last of the group, stood up in the middle of Brigitte mockingly flipping something on an imaginary skillet in a silly way, walking towards the balcony door and stepping outside with her phone in hand. The most subdued member of the quartet, she frequently needed to step away from their friendly gatherings to answer phone calls for work. Being the head of a private security firm with clients all over the L.A. area left many people with your personal phone number that directly connected with your receptionist. Serious, respectful and quiet were Fareeha’s usual modes due to her career but she could cut loose in surprising ways. She loved to gamble small change on sports in her limited free time, journeyed to the gym religiously, and reveled in cracking wise with her friends at the most unexpected of moments. Her sense of humor at times was drier than the Egyptian desert she was raised in, leaving the other 3 in stitches. 

 

“Again? That’s the 3rd time today,” Hana complained, sullenly watching Fareeha gesticulate angrily at nothing on the other side of the glass. 

 

“Yeah, but she’s paying over half my rent so you don’t see me complaining.” Brigitte grinned from the couch, releasing Mitzi who was protesting from being subjected to a tight hug for so long and wrapping Luna in her embrace instead. That fat, orange ball would sit in your arms all day if given the chance, rumbling like an old pickup the entire time. 

 

“Wish I had a sugar mama like that,” Olivia snarked, smirking when Brigitte snorted and laughed gaily while Hana shot her a dirty look. “I’d love to just play with my toys and my cats all day.”

 

“Oh I bet you would. We know you’re all about those pussycats,” Brigitte teased. Her thick brown eyebrows waggled suggestively like a cartoon character’s, eliciting a raucous laugh from Olivia and a fierce blush from Hana. 

 

“Oh no, I missed something,” Fareeha noted as the sound of the balcony door closing again caught the others’ attention, her dark brows losing their angered creases and relaxing into puzzled amusement. “Did Olivia break something again?”

 

“Fuck you,  _ puta. _ ”

 

“Apparently you’re Brigitte’s sugar mama now. It explains why she spends all her time pleasing pussycats.” Hana jumped at the occasion to join in on the teasing happening while Brigitte was winded from laughing and Olivia was recovering from Fareeha’s light jab at her weak spot. She was hoping to see a rare blush in those beautifully dark cheeks for once at the implication of a relationship between the two good friends turned roommates. Instead there was only a pause where silence reigned before Fareeha replied. 

 

“Brigitte?” Fareeha asked in a cool tone, looking to the brunette with one raised brow. 

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Why don’t you be a good little girl and get me a sandwich. You owe me that much.”

 

Brigitte was the first of the group to sputter and lose what calm she’d gained back, laughing hysterically and inciting the same reaction from the other 2. Soon everyone but Fareeha was nearly in tears while she simply stood in the middle of the room waiting for them all to calm down. 

 

Fareeha had little time to enjoy the joyous din though, cramming a hand into her pocket with a snarl as her phone rang for the 4th time that day. 

 

“Again? Just hang up already,  _ chica.  _ They can tell you all about it tomorrow anyway, I bet. I gotta see Bri make you a sandwich  _ now _ !” Olivia joked, snickering into her hand and accepting the cup of coffee Hana pushed into her hands. The foam wasn’t all there just the way she liked but her girlfriend  _ had _ been a little distracted by the infectious laughter in the room. 

 

The joke died on her lips though once everyone saw the resigned look that the caller ID brought to Fareeha’s face. 

 

“Hello, Mother. Is something the matter?”

 

No living being that any of these girls knew was capable of or even willing to brush off Ana Amari by ignoring her phone calls. 

 

“Yes Mother? … Now? … I thought we were meeting in 2 hours? … Of course they are… Yes I can be there in 30 minutes. Oh, there’s the texts now. … I’ll see you soon. Control them, please. … Yes, I will tell the girls you said ‘hello’. Goodbye.”

 

Exasperation leaked from Fareeha’s lips in a gust, her smile at her friends chorusing ‘Hello!’ at the phone warring with her newfound irritation. Whatever the call was about was giving her good mood a strong fight. 

 

“Your mom’s ‘friends’ making trouble again?” Brigitte asked curiously, easily catching the curt nod Fareeha gave in answer. They all watched the woman snatch her car keys off the hook by the door and sweep her glossy black hair into a hasty tail. “Ohh. Well… See you for supper then?” she asked despondently, her normally jovial expression falling. 

 

“Hopefully. Sorry I’m missing out girls…” Fareeha called apologetically, her words distracted as she shoved her feet into running sneakers. 

 

“Aww. S’okay  _ chica _ . You owe me a beer for dippin’ early though,” Olivia chimed from the kitchen table. 

 

“Me too!” Hana echoed the sentiment, tackling Fareeha with a hug from behind then punching her playfully in the back while she retreated out the door, making her crack another subdued smile. 

 

“Duly noted. See you later. Bye, Bri!”

 

And just like that, the group of 4 was now a group of 3, the couple among them trading a look before the both of them ran to the couch in unison, plopping heavily on the edges and sandwiching Brigitte between them. All 3 of the cats vacated the room then, offended by the flurry of movement and shooting the girls looks of disgust before vanishing from sight. Hana and Olivia hardly noticed or cared though, their eyes trained on a sulky Brigitte and their mouths twisted into knowing grins. 

 

“Haaaa.. So sad that Fareeha had to go early again…” Hana sighed, draping herself over Brigitte’s lap and laying her hand over her eyes with melodramatic flair. 

 

Brigitte’s eyes narrowed a fraction, already seeing where this was going. 

 

“And she won’t be back until  _ tonight.  _ After Hana and I leave and you’re  _ sad  _ and  _ lonely  _ in your bed…” Olivia interrupted before the Swede could even begin to reply, playfully false sympathy in her voice. 

 

“Wasting away. Only your cats to keep you company while you watch tv on your phone and  _ chill _ . Poor,  _ single  _ Brigitte,” Hana simpered, well aware that they were quickly getting under the girl’s normally thick skin. 

 

“She’s gonna be a crazy cat lady at this rate. Too bad she just can’t seem to get a  _ date- _ ”

 

Alright, alright! _ Håll din jävla skäft!  _ Quit! I shouldn’t have told you 2  _ anything!”  _ Brigitte growled, all but throwing her friends off of the couch. It was not a satisfying experience though when her efforts resulted in them willingly rolling to the floor, cackling and high-fiving at achieving the reaction they wanted.  

 

Brigitte though was quite peeved by the joy they derived from teasing her, crossing her arms and glaring while they recovered. Her tense posture refused to relax when they hopped back onto either side of the loveseat again, even when Hana began to fiddle with her ponytail, playfully carding tiny fingers through thick brown locks. 

 

“You know we wouldn’t give you so much shit if you’d just ask her out already, right  _ chica _ ?” Olivia began anew, more tender than teasing, chin in hand and her ever-present smirk on her lips. “It’s been  _ weeks _ since you told us you wanted to and it’s super obvious you’re into her.”

 

“Not that we couldn’t already tell, anyway,” Hana chimed, tapping a finger to the irritated wrinkles in Brigitte’s forehead. “You’re just so in  _ loooove. _ ” Hana’s singsong teasing drew a groan from Brigitte and she dropped her face into her hands, all pretense of annoyance and anger fading. 

 

She had fallen  _ so hard.  _

 

Fareeha had never been what she was looking for in a relationship but everything about her was charming, endearing, and oh-so-appealing. Brigitte liked the wild excitement of life’s crazy ups and downs. People assumed that Fareeha wouldn’t be able to bring that to her life when the Egyptian worked a super serious security job but they had been on many outings to amusement parks (for the thrill rides), paintball courses (for the insanity in shooting each other with colored pellets), and gaming conventions (for supporting Hana and the many games they liked to beat each other at). 

 

Even if they had less time for it all now versus when they had first become roommates during Fareeha’s stint at college, she couldn’t very well forget how much fun the woman could be. And even without the raucous fun of going out on the town she still enjoyed spending their evenings together too. Their conversations were easy and flowed smoothly from topic to topic until the late hours of the nights forced them to bed. Life as a working adult limited their free time but being friends for nearly 2 years left them with a plethora of shared experiences to bond over in addition to how smoothly their personalities meshed. 

 

“But it’s not like I can just  _ tell  _ her.. You know as well as I do that she doesn’t want to date anybody… I don’t even know if she’s gay or not! Besides, she won’t even introduce me to those ‘family friends’ of hers’... Sometimes I wonder how good of friends we really are...”

 

Hana and Olivia traded an exasperated look at the sarcastic bite at the end of Brigitte’s words. It was a fact that Fareeha had expressed disinterest in dating anyone for the foreseeable future but they both felt that was more of a formality than anything. Being uptight about meeting family and close friends like that seemed pretty normal to them. Hence why there were no questions about why none of them had ever met the 2 ‘family friends’ that the Amari mother and daughter met up with for tea once a month. 

 

“Well… I mean, they  _ do  _ seem to get in trouble a lot…” Hana shrugged, thinking of all the times Fareeha had left early from their Sunday Fundays to seemingly help her mother get those 2 out of a tight spot. Many a terse phone call had been had on those days, almost always ending in Fareeha storming out and speeding away in her zippy coupe. 

 

“Yeah. Once a week pretty much,” Brigitte complained, throwing her hands in the air and slumping over more than before. It gave Hana easier access to the girl’s hair though which seemed to be keeping her moderately sedated. “I definitely heard Mom-ari say something about ‘jail’ Wednesday night when they got kinda shouty on the phone…”

 

Mom-ari was the trio’s nickname for Fareeha’s mother when Fareeha herself wasn’t around, coined by Olivia after several shots of tequila. They wouldn’t dare say it to the woman’s face and had yet to try it on her daughter for fear of reprimand but it helped them feel less intimidated. 

 

Ana Amari was nothing if not intimidating. That first brief encounter with the watchful gaze of a mother hawk had been enough quite honestly. 

 

“...You sure,  _ chica _ ?” Olivia rarely looked truly worried but she could be serious instead of jokey and sarcastic when the situation called for it. “That’s… damn, girl…”

 

“Hold up though, here’s the thing,” Hana interjected, her small hands flicking both of the girls in the forehead before they could get too wrapped up in worry and theories on what Fareeha might be involved in. “If her family and their friends ever get into something really bad, you know she’ll level with us, right? She tells us when shit gets really real, you know? Remember when we all helped bail out Jesse when he got too drunk that one time?”

 

There was a pause before laughter filled the apartment again, easing the tension in the room. 

 

That thought certainly helped Brigitte remember that Fareeha was too responsible of a friend to let things go far enough to affect their relationship. 

 

“Yeah..” she agreed, sighing and hugging Hana to her side, eliciting a squeak from the smaller woman. “I still wish she’d open up a little bit though…”

 

“Not her fault you’re the biggest open book ever though,  _ chica.  _ Give it a bit. Or, even better, bring roses and chocolates and sing her that cutesy song you wro-”

 

“ _ FAAN _ ! I KNEW YOU WERE READING MY JOURNAL YOU LITTLE-” 

 

Shrieks of laughter and embarrassed rage filled the room as a furiously blushing Brigitte tore after a cackling Olivia, frightening the cats yet again with thunderous footsteps that would likely get the landlord called on them. Again. Meanwhile, Hana was wheezing and clutching her sides on the floor, doubled over from laughing and ignoring her girlfriend’s calls for help. 

 

She deserved the chasing and the subsequent noogies it brought anyway. 

“Ngh… Mitziiiii.. Shhhhh! ‘Reeha?  _ Är det du? Mar du bra? _ ”

 

Brigitte felt blindly for her phone next to the bed, squinting at the tiny flood light when it powered on and displayed the time as 2AM. That was a godawful time for Fareeha to get back from helping her mother… At least, she assumed that her roommate’s arrival was what was prompting the gentlest of her cats to start hissing and spitting at seemingly nothing in the dead of night. 

 

“Fareeha?” she said more clearly, waving a hand tiredly at Mitzi in a vague attempt to silence her and running a hand through tangled bedhead with a groan. 

 

Mitzi was refusing to relax, grating on Brigitte’s nerves as she walked to the living room with the noisy feline on her heels, sighing as a humid breeze from the open balcony washed over her… That brought a frown to her face, making her look around the room more critically. She was fairly certain she’d left that closed in the hopes that the shitty air conditioning in this apartment would fight off the L.A. heat. 

 

“Mmph!” 

 

Her voice tried to escape in a panicked cry as a leather-clad hand clamped down over her mouth, a second trapping her in a vice-like half-nelson hold. Terror surged unchecked through her veins, filling her ears with the rush of blood and adrenaline and pushing her body to action. A part of her distantly recognized a growled question near her head being asked by an unfamiliar voice but she was far too preoccupied to listen to it. 

 

Trapped as she was her first instinct was to buck against the hold, attempting to wrench her body free of her unseen assailant to no avail. When pulling proved fruitless after endless seconds of struggle she turned instead to pushing. Her powerful legs shoved the both of them backwards, knocking them off balance and forcing them into a stumbling dance in the hall. 

 

It was enough for Brigitte to twist violently away amidst angry and pained yowls from her cats. Some part of her recognized that they must have tripped over one of them. She could apologize later with all the wet food in the world after she got this person out of her damn home. 

 

_ Assuming she survived. _

 

Those were pointless thoughts she realized, scrambling away to reach for the aluminum bat hidden just behind the couch. There was a reason after all that Fareeha had always insisted on having a weapon handy… Now she just wished it was the handgun in her nightstand. 

 

Brigitte hauled herself up as quickly as she could, taking a wild swing at the mass of dark leather coat and white hair gathering itself off the hall floor. 

 

Her surprise at being met with the face of a female trespasser was overtaken when that same woman ducked under her swing and tackled her down. Rough leather and buckles dug into her skin while they rolled, vying for dominance in angered grunts and soft cries of pain when skin was pulled and blows were landed.

 

Whoever this was, she thwarted Brigitte’s efforts at winning this fight with shocking finesse at every turn. Only her powerful frame was keeping her from getting pinned. 

 

“B.O.B.!  _ Do somethin’ bout this girl _ !” 

 

Brigitte was shocked when her opponent suddenly screeched at the empty apartment, frustration clearly boiling over, her hands stilling for a brief moment. 

 

Then she heard a  _ crunch _ of breaking wood from the front door and she was abruptly ripped free, pinned against a chest that had to be at least on par with her Papa’s friend Reinhardt… The man was a true 7-foot giant and so was this one it seemed. She sucked in a deep breath to ready a scream now that she was finally trapped by someone much stronger than her but any words she could muster died in her throat as a new wave of dread washed through her. 

 

Having a rifle aimed directly between your eyes at point blank range could have that effect on you. 

 

Seemingly endless silence ensued as Brigitte and the white-haired woman caught their breath, regarding one another with fear and animosity respectively. Brigitte looked ruffled but mostly unscathed aside from scratches from the buckles on the trespasser’s coat while its wearer was considerably worse off.

 

Brigitte could see where she’d landed some solid hits on the woman’s face, busting open her lip and scratching down her cheek. Despite the damage she was quite the looker, sporting a rebellious, tough cowgirl look with her dramatic leather coat and wide-brimmed hat that might have left her swooning if she’d seen it under any other circumstances. But right now she was downright terrifying, her features contorted with anger and steely focus. 

 

“Alright, girl-”

 

A wailing police siren outside the building cut the woman’s words short, eliciting a growl in their stead. 

 

“Damn it! Now we gotta do this the hard way,” she hissed, jamming a gloved hand into one of her many pockets and pulling out what looked to be a clear gem. “Didn’ even know anyone was here but damn it if I’m not getting information outta you for hidin’ demons.” 

 

“What the hell are yo-!”

 

Brigitte could feel her body grow heavy mid-shout as soon as the gem in the woman’s hand began to glow, eyes fluttering when it was pressed to her forehead and sent soothing waves of exhaustion through her. It felt as though her consciousness was adrift in the ocean, washing her away despite the great ball of confusion sitting on her chest. 

 

Fareeha was still not back. Her home had been broken into, the front door splintered into pieces. Her poor, furry babies had been terrorized and stepped on, left in the apartment that was wide open to the world. She herself had been placed captive in her own mind by unwilling sleep that she was desperately trying to rage against and break to no avail. 

 

And all because this woman was looking for  _ demons _ ?! She had no idea what kind of maniac had barged into her life but there was one thing she did know: as soon as she woke up she was going to get that gun and beat the shit out of this woman with it. 


	2. Pursuit

“It isn’t as if they are trying to make your life difficult,  _ habibti.  _ They just-”

 

“ _ Mother.  _ I was literally going to be coming over in a couple of hours and rather than waiting they chose to get my attention by creating a brawl with their powers. You cannot tell me that they aren’t trying to make my life difficult. They are trying sabotage my relationships with my friends!”

 

“Now, Fareeha-”

 

“I don’t care! They are  _ demons _ , Mother. I am aware it’s in their nature but I will continue to take issue with it so long as they keep causing me trouble. I’m fine with spending time with them in a  _ normal _ way but this is ridiculous! Their idea of ‘fun’ is wreaking havoc with my life!”

 

Fareeha only pushed her car to go faster down the highway in response to her mother’s heavy sigh. It was almost 2AM and she was exhausted, physically and mentally. Getting home was all she could think of at this point and Ana’s insistence in arguing this point  _ again  _ was grating on her nerves. 

 

A heavy silence filled the car save for the high-pitched whine of the motor while Fareeha weaved through the late night traffic to get home sooner. She still had to take her mother home before she could go anywhere but thankfully they only lived a few minutes apart. Unfortunately that meant she had to listen to the myriad ways the woman tried to apologize for her “friends’” behavior. 

 

It was just unbelievable the lengths that Moira and Angela would go to just to commandeer her attention. Not only did they reveal their true forms to an entire restaurant full of people, they also incited a full-on brawl between the patrons there by magically willing them to view anyone nearby as an enemy. Their little stunt had landed a couple of people in the hospital but not for anything more serious than a few stitches. 

 

And it wasn’t as if this was anything new either. Fareeha’s eyes glazed over a bit while zoomed down the highway, going on autopilot while she lamented being stuck as their Bureau liaison. Though she quickly shook those thoughts aside as pointless. It wasn’t as if she could pass that responsibility off to just anyone anyway, not with the pact her mother had with the 2. 

 

How nice it would be if her job really was as simple as running a private security firm… 

 

“Fareeha?”

 

A frustrated groan escaped the young woman’s lips before she could stop it, earning one of her mother’s signature glares from her hawk-like gaze. 

 

“Yes, Mother?” she said, trying to smooth over the faux pas. They were both tired and she knew it. As annoyed as she was it would be easier all around if she at least tried to remain polite. 

 

“How are your friends doing? Are you all getting along?”

 

That non-sequitur gave her pause, turning her head from the road just long enough to cast a deeply suspicious look at the other side of the car. 

 

“They’re fine? You heard them on the phone earlier, same as always. Why? Are you planning something? It’s not like you to just give up on an argument like this, Mother.”

 

Ana chuckled, unnerving Fareeha and sending a chill down her spine that she blamed on passing beneath the shadow of several gargantuan buildings near the highway. Nevermind the hour of the night and the improbability of shadows affecting the temperature. 

 

“What? I can’t inquire into my daughter’s social life to see how she’s doing?”

 

“You aren’t the type to do so without a very specific reason, Mother.”

 

Ana tutted. “Such a suspicious child. I just like to have these little looks into your world,  _ habibti.  _ I have been especially interested in meeting this girlfriend that you are so intent on hiding.”

 

“Girlfriend? I’m not dating anyone!”

 

“Oh come now. You have been concealing almost everything about this ‘Brigitte’ ever since you met her. The last time you were so intent on keeping me in the dark about one of your friends I-”

 

“You scared him half to death by letting Angela and Moira flaunt their demon forms in front of him! On top of that, you made him forget the 6 months of us dating so he wouldn’t go blab to the police!”

 

Now Fareeha was angry again, her voice raising sharply and making her mother wince as the sound bounced around the small space. She could hardly be bothered to apologize though as rage boiled beneath her skin. The harsh look she got from the very same magic eye that her mother used to erase her ex-boyfriend’s memory meant little to her in the face of her righteous fury. The man had entirely forgot their time together, treating her like a stranger from that point on.

 

“I couldn’t have predicted they would decide to drop by at that very moment, Fareeha,” Ana stated coldly, the hurt plain in her voice as Fareeha made clear the rift between them that still existed since that incident despite the fact that it had occurred nearly 10 years ago.

 

“Yet they did, ruining my relationship with someone I cared for with no remorse. And you did nothing to stop that. Only made it worse.”

 

“Fareeha-”

 

_ Call Sign: Pharah. Priority 1. An emergency situation has occurred requiring immediate action. _

 

Gone was the need to argue these old and new points any further, much to Ana’s clear frustration, as the entity that occasionally possessed Fareeha’s car spoke up. Mother and daughter would need to talk their problems out later, after this problem had been addressed.

 

“Yes, Athena. Where do I need to be? What’s happened?” Fareeha replied to the voice, wrenching her mind away from her anger as best she could so she could focus. As much as she hated leaving an argument unfinished she had an obligation to answer this call. There were very few Priority 1 situations that happened in her line of work. She normally just handled minor reveal incidents with her personal clients. What could have happened? A vampire attack? A rogue werewolf?

 

_ A home invasion perpetrated by an unknown individual aided by a magical construct has commenced at … Street, zip code … . Assailants are heavily armed and intentions are unknown. Significant danger posed to multiple nearby civilians. Agent McCree en route for- _

 

Fareeha felt her blood run cold, flooring the gas without a care for the shock it brought her passenger as the vehicle vanished from the view of the surrounding cars and lifted itself into the sky. The rest of Athena’s words barely even registered in her mind once she’d heard where the incident was happening. That address was  _ her home. _

“How could you not get here in time, Jesse?! You weren’t even 5 minutes away!”

 

“Well ‘scuse me for not bein’ awake at all hours of the day, ‘Reeha. Athena woke me up and I had to get ma’ gear together.”

 

“Calm down,  _ habibti.  _ We need to look at this rationally-”

 

“ _ They took Brigitte somewhere.  _ Calm is the last thing I want. I want answers! I want to know where they went!”

 

“Well yellin’ at us ain’t gonna get her back faster, darlin’. Cool it and let yer mama keep lookin’ for clues. We’ll get to her fast as we can.”

 

Fareeha let herself be led away from the living room of her apartment with a growl of frustration, slapping Jesse’s hand off of her arm. It was impossible to “keep her cool” right now because regardless of her mother being wrong about her and Brigitte’s actual relationship, she hadn’t been far off base from her daughter’s hopes for it. Her gut was roiling with terrified thoughts of what might be happening to her friend right now. It wasn’t like her to lose her composure like this but she had never once imagined that she would become a target like this given her relatively calm line of work. Higher profile liaisons were known to come under fire from angered parties, supernatural and otherwise, for the clients they handled, but she was hardly one of those. 

 

The state of the front room wasn’t exactly helping her anxiety either. The door had been broken from its hinges, the pieces tossed aside like scraps of paper. The frame had bulged and buckled beneath the pressure of something too large for its confines passing through. Crushed sections of tile in the shape of footprints and depressions in the carpet further marked the presence of someone or something massive. Likely the golem that Athena had mentioned in the initial alert. 

 

Athena had also mentioned seeing the golem leave carrying Brigitte in its arms before anyone had arrived to contest it, loading her into a vehicle that was cloaked to specifically deter tracking efforts on it. And accompanying it had been an unknown woman with the air of a hunter; an illegal but common mantle of one that sought to remove any traces of the supernatural and magical from the world, rather than coexist with it. This one seemed to have some manner of personal device for concealing their presence as well. Athena had been entirely unable to recall any details concerning them other than their unusual garb. 

 

“Hey… ‘Reeha…”

 

Interrupting her intent examination of the attack on her home only served to anger Fareeha further and she rounded on her coworker with a fire in her eyes. 

 

“If you tell me to be calm again Jesse I will tell Moira where your new house is and I will have no regrets. I don’t have time to be calm.”

 

Jesse McCree grimaced, hiding his eyes behind the rim of his obnoxious cowboy hat and taking a deep breath. He could be quick to anger in an argument but was clearly donning his professional mask to deal with Fareeha’s stress. He had an unconventional look to him for a modern liaison officer but the classic cowboy look did suit him and allowed him to put his clients at ease, particularly those that had existed for several generations of humans. 

 

It was hard not to be insulted by his attempts to treat her like one of their clients when she had every right to be tense and worried.

 

“I’m jus’ gonna ask ya if ya remember meetin’ anybody strange recently. This here’s an odd happenin’ and I doubt it came without a warnin’ sign. Maybe one you didn’ see for what it was ‘til too late.”

 

“Really, Jesse. You think I haven’t been racking my brain thinking of every single person I’ve met in the past  _ month _ trying to think of something like that?! I’ve thought of nothing. I can’t even think of why someone would target me at all! It’s not like I deal with anyone overly dangerous like some agents do.”

 

Jesse sighed heavily and cocked a brow at her, immediately suggesting the one counter to her words that she’d only considered after they’d left her mouth. 

 

“You know what I mean!” she blustered, growling and rubbing her hand over her eyes, annoyed that her body was still tired from being awake for too long despite the anxiety-fueled tension in her mind. “Moira and Angela are powerful but they don't  _ do  _ anything with it. Not enough to draw any real attention at least. You know that.”

 

“Well, ya got somethin’s attention. And I’d bet my left boot it was those two what helped ya get it.”

 

“That doesn’t mean-”

 

A plaintive chorus of meows interrupted her train of thought and took her attention away from Jesse, making her feel a tug to her heartstrings. 

 

They had found Mitzi, Luna, and Maja wandering the halls of the apartment complex, yowling at all of the closed doors and bolting as soon as someone other than their people answered. Thankfully, Jesse and the police had shown up in time to herd the animals towards the open apartment and prevent the other tenants from investigating, thought they had been unsuccessful in catching the felines until Fareeha arrived. 

 

“That doesn’t mean much. If someone I don’t know is looking for them I have no idea how to figure out who they are.” She groaned and waved the man away, feeling a migraine coming on that she tried to will away. There was simply no time for that right now. “Just- Just go deal with the police before they come up and ask more questions. They need to stay away until Winston can come and deal with them.”

 

She dropped to her knees to pet and sweet-talk the cats after dismissing him, trying to assuage their clear worries about their owner while Jesse groaned and lumbered down the hall, spurs jangling the whole way. Mitzi clambered up onto her legs and rubbed against her chest, ever the cuddly creature. It did nothing for her own fears but digging her fingers into warm, white fur gave her something to focus on while her mother peered around the apartment with that magical eye of hers. 

 

Somewhere in the hall she could hear Jesse speaking with one of the officers again, still preventing them from making their own investigation. His Southern drawl plus the hypnotic device they used to deflect the normal authorities’ attention created a soporific effect that she ignored with practiced effort, though she wished she could just lean into the sound and forget everything for a while like they were. One of her worst fears was manifesting here tonight and it didn’t feel real. 

 

“I have found a trail to follow. And I suggest you thank that cat in your arms. She tried to warn Brigitte.”

 

Ana’s sudden find had Fareeha’s attention so quickly she nearly gave herself whiplash. It was hard not to shudder when her gaze met the blank white orb set in her mother’s right eye socket though. Normally concealed, that eye had the ability to see all manner of things with the sparks of luminescence that danced within its confines, from trails left by practiced magic to traces of creatures’ presences. As useful as that was though, Fareeha had only been unnerved by it growing up. 

 

“How? Never mind, just tell me later. Which direction?” Fareeha gently set Mitzi back on the floor despite her protest, kissing the fluffy creature on the head and shooing her towards the bedrooms. 

 

“Jesse!” she called, reaching out to pat his shoulder on her way by. “We have a lead. Watch my girls until Winston gets here to help with cleanup.”

 

Jesse looked around in time to see Fareeha halfway down the hallway already, fumbling for his phone and dropping it in the process.

 

“Wait- What now? You got a lead? Just gimme a few more minutes ‘n I can call Winston faster then come with ya. A golem ain’t gonna be easy to take down. Ugh. Yer not even- Damn it, ‘Reeha, wait!”

 

“Give it up, boy. We will handle this. Just watch the cats as she said and we will return soon.”

 

Ana chuckled dryly as she walked into the hall, ignoring the cowboy’s flinch at seeing her unveiled eye and giving chase to Fareeha as fast as her old legs would carry her. For the few that had the opportunity to see it, that was quite the normal reaction. She was more intrigued that Fareeha considered the cats to be her own. She’d never been much of animal enthusiast as a little girl.

 

“Let me drive,  _ habibti.  _ It will be faster than explaining which way to go.”

 

Fareeha frowned but threw her mother the key to her couple, running to the passenger side and jumping in without argument. 

 

“So where are they? What did you mean Mitzi tried to warn her? Could you see who took her?”

 

It was only once Ana had hopped in herself and thrown the car into drive that Fareeha bombarded her with questions, not even paying attention when the vehicle rose into the sky once more and started soaring unseen over the rooftops. 

 

“I don’t know where they are. Only which direction they went in. I watched the afterimages of Brigitte trying to fight them off after the cat woke her and saw them use a Neulian stone to put her back to sleep. The stone leaves unnatural traces that are easy to follow.”

 

“So that means you were able to see them. Do you know who it was?”

 

“I didn’t recognize her,  _ habibti.  _ I’m sorry. It has been a long time since I was in the field. She is very distinctive though. White hair. Red eyes. Carries herself like a noblewoman. Dresses like… I’m unsure how to describe it. Ah, your friends would call it ‘an edgier Jesse McCree’.”

 

Ana sighed at Fareeha’s silence, not surprised but still disappointed that she couldn’t lift her daughter’s spirits a little. 

 

While Fareeha recognized what her mother was doing and also saw that this situation wasn’t as bad as it could be, she still couldn’t relax. Even if Brigitte hadn’t been harmed, she was still missing and that was something Fareeha was going to blame herself for for some time. She had never wanted Brigitte to deal with the dangers that this other world could bring, though this was certainly one of the last things she could have ever expected to happen.

 

“If nothing else, this magic that makes up her golem is also trackable. I still don’t understand what magic your ‘Athena’ is made with but for a surveillance spirit, she doesn’t do it terribly well.”

 

“Well, you and I both know that your eye is a little more powerful than your average mage, mother,” Fareeha dead-panned. “Even the likes of Winston wouldn’t be able to keep up with what it can do.”

 

She turned to facing the outside again after that, clearly uninterested in discussing anything further with her mother now that she had gotten the answers she wanted. Now she just wanted to find Brigitte…

 

And teach this white-haired huntress what happened when you messed with an Amari.


	3. Questions

It was so quiet… aside from her breathing of course. It echoed off the tile all around her, amplified by the silence surrounding her. And hotel bathrooms had such incredible acoustics that she couldn’t help but be hyper-aware of every little noise getting magnified by the space. She’d been stuck here for what felt like a small eternity, trapped waiting for someone to come get her out of here while her captor entirely ignored her existence. 

 

Brigitte jumped horribly when the silence she’d been left in was broken by the jarring sound of an obnoxiously loud phone ringing. Were phones still real? If they were, what made them work? Was it electricity and radio waves? Or was it something else entirely? The things she’d learned made her feel like she was existing in some parallel dimension where everything was the same yet completely different, not helped at all by her sense of isolation. 

 

“What?” a curt voice answered, cutting the ringing short. 

 

Ashe. That’s what she’d said to call her anyway. The name sat on Brigitte’s tongue with a bitter taste. It sounded like a child’s codename, if not for the fact that it was paired with the woman’s dangerous image. Even if Ashe wasn’t her real name, it didn’t mean she was playing around. She was deadly serious. 

 

And Ashe had told her and shown her things that had been impossible to believe if not for the clear evidence to the contrary.

 

First off, the bindings on Brigitte’s arms and legs. At a glance they were just leather sheaths fitted over her limbs, but once they were attached they stuck themselves to each other with a faint glow, locking in place more securely than any lock she’d ever known. She had spent a good ten minutes alone trying to brute force them apart to no avail. 

 

Second, the thing that Ashe called B.O.B. That was no man that had restrained her in the apartment. Once the disguise had been dropped, Brigitte had no longer seen a generic human male but a lumbering behemoth made of stone shaped like one. It didn’t speak but clearly understood everything spoken, moving under direction as well as with its own intentions at times. She had never imagined such a thing might exist anywhere but fairy tales and movies.

 

Third and last, the pictures and videos Ashe had of Fareeha. These were the hardest to believe but… after seeing B.O.B. they seemed much more plausible. And there were so many too, with none of the trademark discrepancies that people were so used to seeing in shopped pictures on the internet. They looked  _ real.  _ Fareeha standing and talking with what was clearly meant to be some manner of fae, otherworldly and ethereal with shimmering wings. Fareeha escorting a goblin-like creature to a waiting car in an abandoned lot. Fareeha fighting and killing what could only be a  _ vampire  _ with skin that pale and fangs that long in the dead of night. And, most damning of all, Fareeha leaving a house with a smile on her face, clearly trading pleasantries with her mother and what could only be described as 2 demons. 

 

Moira and Angela. The names came to Brigitte unbidden but she felt in her gut that this had to be them, even though she had no real clue. Dimly, she wondered which was which, though normal naming conventions meant nothing in comparison to their hellish appearances. 

 

One definitely had the look of a stereotypical demon in traditional media. Dark horns curling up from the crown of her head over midnight-black hair and imperious indigo eyes. Black wings with feathers of flame extending from her back. A body with tempting curves from neck to bust to waist with trim legs ending in cloven hooves. She was waving back at Fareeha with a look on her face that Brigitte could only describe as predatory, an evil smirk on her face.

 

The other was tall, taller even than herself and Fareeha, with short, brilliant red hair swept into a magnificently messy look. Her features were regal, mismatched eyes arrogantly viewing the world with an air of superiority. She appeared to be more human than her compatriot save for 4 tentacle-like appendages growing from her back with 3-pronged claws on their ends and deadly horns curling over her head from the back of her skull. While she lacked the obvious air of a temptress as the other, she radiated a sense of power and malevolence, even in a still image. 

 

How Ana and Fareeha could stand beside these 2 obviously evil figures and not run was baffling to Brigitte. If it were her she would be running for the hills. Maybe she wouldn’t call the police for such an unbelievable threat but she might honestly be tempted to hightail it to the nearest church. What was especially strange was that they seemed so… comfortable there. As if they were standing next to just a couple of female friends, not hellspawn. 

 

Everyone knew that demons were supposed to be evil after all. It was common knowledge to the point of being an essential truth of the world. Demons were bad, angels were good, water was wet. The problem with that was that angels and demons weren’t supposed to be  _ real.  _ Not by her understanding anyway. 

 

“ _ What?! Already?! _ Well stall ‘em as long as you can, damn it!”

 

Brigitte jumped when she heard the phone in the other room slam onto its cradle and a stream of obscenities flow from Ashe’s mouth. 

 

Now what?

 

“Ashe? What’s happening?” 

 

Brigitte felt her mouth twist in distaste as she called the woman’s name, feeling as if she had swallowed a mouthful of the same stuff. She truly hated the woman for what she’d put her through these past couple of hours but felt too lost to not try and reach out for answers. Being kept in the dark further would only make her feel worse. And if nothing else, Ashe had been forthcoming with her own answers even after being repeatedly threatened with violence. Though it wasn’t as if she’d had anything to fear from Brigitte while she was bound to a chair in the bathroom.

 

There was no response from the other room, only the sound of objects being shuffled around and the creaking of Ashe’s leather coat. Was she getting ready to leave? Did that mean someone was coming to get her?

 

“Hey! Answer me!” 

 

“I heard her! This way!”

 

That wasn’t the voice Brigitte had been expecting to hear. That was Fareeha, that familiar voice carrying clearly to her through the doors. A sudden burst of fire from a powerful handgun stopped her from responding though, paralyzing her in place for a moment. 

 

She could only wait as the sounds of a struggle outside the room came closer, fidgeting anxiously as the door to the bathroom stayed shut, obscuring any potential view she might have had of her kidnapper’s part in this. 

 

It was only when things went eerily quiet all of a sudden that Brigitte began to really worry, biting her lip as she tried to edge her chair closer to the door. Hearing more by being closer seemed unlikely but she was trying it anyway. 

 

“Brigitte? Are you in there?!”

 

“Y-Yeah! You’re close! I’m locked in a bathroom!”

 

This time it sounded like Fareeha was right outside, sounding completely unhurt if winded and sick with worry. 

 

Brigitte jumped again as more shots rung out without warning, swiftly followed by a crash as the door’s locks were blasted and kicked open. That fright retreated as soon as the bathroom door was shouldered open though, relief flowing through her as her friend came in like a knight in shining armor.  

 

The turmoil raging in her over the last couple hours seemed to fade for the moment as soon as those dark eyes met her own, the worry in them washing away. 

 

“Oh,” Fareeha breathed, dropping to her knees unexpectedly and embracing Brigitte more tightly than she’d ever done before. That soft sound and heartfelt gesture shocked her into silence despite all the burgeoning questions in her chest begging to be asked. 

 

“You’re all clear. The rest of the room is empty. I suggest you leave the hugs for later though,  _ habibti.  _ We need to move.”

 

Brigitte startled as a weathered but surprisingly strong hand helped Fareeha to pull her from the chair, looking up and only just now noticing that Ana was here as well. She was first struck by the imposing presence about the woman, just as she had been the 1 time she’d met her previously, but her breath caught in her throat as she saw the woman’s uncovered eye. 

 

“Wh-What’s wrong with-”

 

“Nothing, Bri. I can explain later. We need to get you out of here.”

 

Fareeha seemed to come to her senses again at her mother’s words, hurriedly taking a glowing stone from one of the pouches on her belt. It wasn’t unlike the one that put Brigitte into a forced sleep not so long ago, except this one shone with a sickly green tinge. Before any questions about it could be asked though it was touched to the restraints on her arms and legs, causing them to quite literally flake off as if they were made of dust. 

 

“Run right by me. If you see anything freaky that doesn’t look human chasing you, shoot at center body mass.”

 

Brigitte nodded dimly at the instruction as Fareeha handed her a pistol from a thigh holster, briefly examining it and the strange glowing sigils engraved on its side before she was swept from the room. 

 

She spared one look behind her at the apparently empty room that Ashe had previously occupied, just to confirm with her own eyes that her kidnapper had disappeared. It was easy to see how once she saw the evidence for herself though. 

 

A massive hole, roughly the size of B.O.B. really, torn through the wall and leading to the outside where she could see a faint shimmer of some bulky thing taking off into the night sky. How had she not heard that being made?

 

Well… At least she wouldn’t need to worry about people fighting over her… Regardless of the many questions she had for the woman at her side that she thought she knew so well, she had no interest in seeing her face off against that giant...

Running from the hotel had proved to be much easier than anticipated. Brigitte hadn’t even needed to fire the gun she’d been given, though that was more due to not being quick enough on the draw. Fareeha had gunned down several strange humanoid figures that seemed to be made of some fog-like substance, stopping their pursuit when it had barely begun and providing them easy passage to the waiting car right in the front of the parking lot. 

 

Brigitte had then had to deal with the shock of realizing that Fareeha’s coupe could not only turn  _ invisible from the outside _ , but also  _ fly _ , gripping the oh-shit bar in the tiny back seat the whole way home. As a result she couldn’t really find her voice to ask questions while they soared over rooftops, only responding once to Ana’s quiet question of whether or not she was seriously hurt. Since she’d only been roughed up a little, obvious by the scratches and light bruising showing on her arms, that was a short conversation. 

 

What she did do though was attempt to bore a hole into the back of Fareeha’s head, in the hopes of getting a glimpse into her brain. She wanted to know just how many things were floating around in that head of hers.

 

Along the way she did get to listen in while Fareeha spoke with a ‘Winston’, informing him that the 3 of them were safe and en route to home. There was no elaboration as to who he was or why he needed to know, just the facts of the situation and the call was over. More questions for her to ask later...

 

And that was the main thing Brigitte needed to do. Ask questions. She ran through her list she’d been compiling as quickly as she could all the way up until she saw their apartment building appear outside her window, absentmindedly accepting Fareeha’s help in getting out of the backseat and walking through the silent parking lot in a daze. She was mostly recovered from her initial shock but still had a ways to go. Getting past the whole “What the hell is going on?!” right at first had been hard but possible with Ashe grilling her for information in that hotel room; both of them had left that conversation frustrated but Brigitte had at least come away a good deal more informed about the hidden side of the world she’d never imagined being truly real. Being frustrated had felt better than being scared at least. She imagined Ashe didn’t feel the same now that she’d been deprived of her leveraging tool but she didn’t care about that. 

 

By the time the 3 of them had walked up to the apartment she was pretty sure she had everything she wanted to ask lined up and ready to go, set in a particular order: ‘What are you really?’, ‘Why didn’t you ever tell me anything?’, and ‘Are you seriously friends with demons?’. The answers to those questions probably wouldn’t do much to soothe the churning mass of confusion and doubt in Brigitte’s stomach but she couldn’t very well reconcile all of these feelings without actually talking to Fareeha about it all, regardless of what her insane kidnapper had said. 

 

It was with this in mind that she grabbed for the door, barely noticing that it seemed much newer and less worn now as she called for her babies, realizing at just that moment that they were probably still tense and terrified from the scuffle a few hours prior. 

 

“Mitzi? Maja? Luna? I’m ho- OOOHH- _ OH MY GOD! WHAT THE FUCK- _ ”

 

Fareeha was quick on the draw if nothing else, her eyes widening as she clapped a hand over Brigitte’s mouth and strong-armed her into the apartment, violently motioning for her mother to follow and close the door before someone could yell at them for being noisy at 5 in the morning. 

 

That left Brigitte to whip her head between her roommate and the unexpected arrivals casually sat on her couch, shock etched into her face.

 

The same demons that had been in that picture were here. Sitting on her couch.  _ Drinking tea.  _

 

“ _ What the hell are you doing here?! _ ” Fareeha hissed at the 2 before Brigitte could scream again, keeping her hands on her friend’s shoulders to keep her still. 

 

“I thought you might like to have some tea to calm down when you got back, dear,” the winged one purred. 

 

“And some company to talk things over with,” the other said dryly. 

 

“You’re both full of shit,” Fareeha returned without pause, sending the 2 into fits of laughter. 

 

Were these normal circumstances with normal people, Brigitte might have laughed at Fareeha’s no-nonsense answer to the demons’ obvious sarcasm. Instead she gave her roommate a pointed look and motioned at the intruders as if to silently ask,  _ “What the fuck?”  _

 

Fareeha sighed heavily, rubbing her face with both hands before answering. 

 

“Bri… These 2 are Angela and Moira… and they’re… um-”

 

“Demons, obviously.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“And they’re here because?”

 

“To harass me? I honestly don’t know. That’s all they usually do.”

 

“They’ll harass their own kind?”

 

“I’m not a demon, Bri! I’m just a human!”

 

“That’s the first I’m hearing of it.”

 

“That’s…”

 

Fareeha went quiet while Angela and Moira continued to giggle like children on the couch, seeming to enjoy the sudden argument and the sideways glances that Brigitte kept shooting their way. It was unusual to see her friend at such a loss for words but it was rare too for her to speak in a tone so filled with betrayal. Here her friend was, talking back at creatures of hell as if they were just another pair of regular people. 

 

“That’s a fair point,  _ habibti.  _ She has no way of knowing the truth right now. Why don’t you get us some tea? I will tell her what is going on before we ask her about the woman who took her.”

 

Fareeha looked ready to tear her hair out but conceded to her mother’s idea with a helpless shrug, shooting the demons a glare before walking to the kitchenette side of the room and starting her search for cups. 

 

“Why don’t you sit down, Brigitte? I’m sure you need to relax after all that’s happened tonight.”

 

“I’ll stay right here,” she replied, wary of the unnatural beings that had pulled out smartphones of all things and were nonchalantly scrolling through something, comparing things and giggling to one another about their findings. 

 

Her cats were equally as wary, flicking their tails and glaring suspiciously from their various hidey holes on the edges of the room. That made her feel more justified in being nervous. 

 

“As you wish. I will start explaining then.” Ana sat herself in the recliner that Fareeha normally occupied with a heavy sigh, her freaky eye covered up by an eyepatch again like it had been the first time Brigitte had met her. 

 

That was another question she wanted to ask but that was lower on the priority list. 

 

“First then, since we have only met once, I will introduce myself,” Ana said, smiling and accepting a cup of tea from her daughter. “I am Ana Amari, an Egyptian witch and these are my 2 demonic familiars, Angela and Moira. A familiar is something like an assistant to many practitioners but I consider them good friends. Fareeha has been around them her entire life, so they are like the aunts she never asked for. Fareeha didn’t inherit any ability for magic from me but she knows enough about it and the magical world to work as a sort of social worker. Growing up around demons and lycanthropes helped her relate to them and others like them so now she helps them stay hidden from the general populace. She-”

 

“Mother! Give her a minute to recover from at least some of that!” Fareeha snapped, interrupting to give Brigitte a concerned look and push her favorite cat mug full of tea into her hands. She didn’t say anything more though, the clear tension in her shoulders tightening further while she watched her friend process the new infodump. 

 

And boy, was her mind whirling again. 

 

At least one of her questions had been answered though… Probably the biggest one there. 

 

Fareeha was still just a human like her, just with some different circumstances growing up… And apparently her job wasn’t exactly what she had always said it was. 

 

“So-” Brigitte cut herself off before she got too distracted by her own train of thought, pausing to gather her thoughts and cradle her warm mug. The heat was disarmingly comforting as it was already so warm in the apartment but maybe that had more to do with being able to trace her fingers along the cat face on the side of the cup. She didn’t even want to fully invest herself in asking about the mention of magic and growing up around lycanthropes. Weren’t lycanthropes werewolves?

 

“These 2,” she motioned to Angela and Moira who perked up at being pointed at, “they’re not dangerous?” 

 

“Only if they really want to be. They just make trouble by making me clean up their messes and make fun of me using any ammo they can find,” Fareeha replied quickly, shooting a glare at the 2 as if to deter them from speaking. 

 

“You don’t think us dangerous, Fareeha? I’m offended. We could raze this city to the ground if we so chose and you only believe us interested in childish games? Perhaps we should begin with the corruption of the souls of everyone in this apartment complex?”

 

Brigitte shuddered violently as the demon that had been pointed out as Moira spoke, watching her stand and slowly walk over. That low voice was deathly serious and the clawed tentacles attached to her back waved hypnotizingly, as if to lure her into a painful embrace like a deep sea creature would do. 

 

“And ruin all of your potential for fun and games? You told me just last week the only thing you wanted to do was drink tea and tease me for being single at 32. What happened to that, hmm? There’s tea on the stove and I’m right here, Moira. Bring it on.”

 

Brigitte couldn’t help it. She snorted. 

 

That drew Moira’s attention to her again and she was rooted to the spot by having those cold, mismatched eyes fixed to her. The demon sported a fanged smirk when she saw Brigitte tense up, reaching out to stroke her cheek with long-nailed fingers before she could pull all the way away. 

 

“Weren’t you afraid of bringing us here exactly because of your feelings for-”

 

“And I’m stopping you right there because this  _ isn’t even the point right now.  _ Go sit.” Fareeha pointed imperiously at the couch, glaring until Moira laughed in a carefree manner and returned. All semblance of threat and danger had vanished from the demon as soon as she did, seeming to highlight the point that Fareeha had been making. The demons seemed to be… harmless. Even if their sense of humor was a little… off kilter. 

 

Was Brigitte imagining the blush in Fareeha’s cheeks though? And what had Moira been about to say about Fareeha’s feelings?

 

“These 2 are only truly dangerous if they unleash their full power. And we have long since had an understanding that they are not to do that. They enjoy playing pranks on civilians but nothing that could cause lasting damage.”

 

Brigitte looked around at Ana again when the older woman spoke, blinking in confusion as a cup drained of tea was extended towards her. It was only when Fareeha reached past her with a sigh and left to refill it that she noticed the silent question being asked. She then recalled her own cup of tea that she’d forgotten about as soon as it was pushed into her hands, taking a sip now and deep, calming breaths to go with it. 

 

“Okay… So… Fareeha.”

 

Brigitte wanted to be sure she had her friend’s attention before speaking again. Now that she had some confirmation on her other questions she wanted to ask the hard-hitting ones. The ones that only Fareeha could answer. It was still hard to believe of course that all of this was real in the first place, but after the night’s events and the things she’d been told, she was getting there. She considered herself a pretty good judge on whether or not someone was lying and Ana had been far too frank for someone trying to dodge the truth. That was how she felt at least. 

 

“I just have 1 big question for you, okay?”

 

Fareeha was standing stock still before Brigitte now, clearly uncomfortable but making eye contact without flinching. Just like she always did. She was always so stalwart, so sturdy and unchanging. Maybe that was why this hurt so much; seeing her act like that when things were clearly changing for them felt like a betrayal. 

 

“Why have you been lying to me?”

 

That wasn’t good… Her voice broke halfway through the words, betraying the hurt and the confusion she was feeling. Those emotions had faded some while she’d been lost in the strangeness of this situation; the  _ real  _ answers she wanted though were ones that would soothe her heart and not her mind. Her  _ best friend _ had been lying to her about a lot, clearly. Knowing why would determine whether that relationship continued. 

 

It did soothe her some to see the guilt consume Fareeha’s face though, watching those pretty lips of hers twist into a pained grimace. 

 

There was a long silence while she waited for her answer, punctuated only by the occasional titters from the demons on the couch, which were swiftly shushed by Ana. Space in the apartment was limited so it wasn’t as if they could leave and sit on the balcony while this talk was happening, for obvious reasons. 

 

“I wanted to-” Fareeha cut herself off just when she finally spit an answer out, pausing before girding herself enough to just say it, “I wanted to protect you from this side of things. It’s a dangerous world but it doesn’t bother normal people if they don’t know about it... Usually… I’ve never seen something this extreme happen before though! What that woman that took you did was incredibly illegal! She should be behind bars just for what she’s  _ trying  _ to do, not even counting what she’s done.”

 

Brigitte simply waited, her brows drawing closer and closer together in growing anger and drawing a more panicked and frustrated response from Fareeha, causing her to dig for different words and explanations. 

 

“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Bri. I just wanted to keep you away from the few things that could really hurt-”

 

“You know what really does hurt though? This.”

 

Brigitte cut Fareeha off again, drawing up to her full height and speaking through her teeth. She knew she looked intimidating with her muscular frame and fierce expression, even if she was just a little shorter than her roommate. Feeling intimidating was a whole other game though. 

 

“You obviously  _ don’t  _ trust me. And you  _ haven’t  _ trusted me since we met. And besides that, you haven’t even let me decide for myself if I even want protecting! I’ve been nothing but honest with you and you should know that I don’t want anyone ‘white knighting’ me. Ever! I’m tough and I could’ve handled myself if I had any idea what kind of things might come for me in my sleep! If I’m  _ living in the same house  _ as you I’m obviously not safe, Fareeha.”

 

Brigitte’s chest was heaving with effort, caught between keeping her voice from raising in her anger or cracking in her distress. She cared little for the legality of Ashe’s activities and simply wanted herself understood. Her eyes burned with the need to release those emotions and she swiped anxiously at her face, maintaining her glare when Fareeha started to come closer with a look of concern amidst the guilt on her face. 

 

“I.. I-I…” It was rare to see Fareeha at a loss for words. Even rarer still to see her worrying her hands, nervously cracking her knuckles in the quiet.

 

The silence between them once Brigitte had said her piece did nothing to help the fluttery anxiety in her chest but she could at least breathe deep and wait for a response. Yet those breaths still caught in her chest once Fareeha started to speak again. 

 

“You’re right… I didn’t trust you like I should have. And- And I’m so sorry, Brigitte… I.. Obviously I made a mistake but I don’t want to hurt you more with this… Even.. even if you don’t forgive me I want to come clean with you instead of keeping up the lie… What do you think?”

 

“I.. would like that…” Brigitte replied, her voice soft after taking a deep breath to steady herself and take that reply in. It was what she had honestly hoped for the most. For Fareeha to really open up and let her in, even if it wasn’t in the best of circumstances like this. If they worked with each other, this would work. “C’mere you idiot…”

 

Fareeha let out an undignified squeak as she was grabbed and brought into one of Brigitte’s trademark back-breaking hugs. The ultimate sign that the argument was done for now. It didn’t mean there weren’t things that still needed worked out but the greater part if the storm was done. 

 

“Awwww!! Look at them, Moira. They’re so cute! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”

 

“ANGELA!!”

 

Brigitte startled as Fareeha ripped herself out of their make-up hug with a roar, watching her round on the shorter demon that was taunting them like a school-age child. 

 

Angela hardly seemed repentant, her entire body fading from sight and then reappearing at random points around the room as Fareeha began to chase her with outstretched hands and an angry look, seeming determined to punish the laughing woman for her teasing. 

 

It was then that Brigitte had to just admit the ridiculousness of this situation and the reality of the creatures in her front room. 

 

She laughed. Laughed as if she were breaking at the seams with tears leaking down her face. 

 

No human could  _ teleport _ around her apartment to evade Fareeha but she couldn’t bring herself to care about that detail. Angela was making Fareeha crash into furniture and trip over her own feet with her shenanigans, which was just too funny when the woman was normally so unflappable. 

 

“Are you alright, dear?”

 

She looked around at Ana when she heard the older woman’s question, wiping moisture from her eyes and shrugging. 

 

Was she okay? Her world she knew had been dismantled with demons and magic entering into it. Her best friend had been lying to her for 3 years but she was going to try and forgive her for it and learn about why. And there was even the fact that she’d been kidnapped by someone who could very well have killed her for associating with this world. 

 

“Eh. I’ll figure this out. Papa always said I was too stubborn for my own good.”


End file.
